Pipe shaping tool



Dec. 30, 1941. WALL 2,267,774

PIPE SHAPING TOOL Filed Nov. 6; 1940 INVENTQR John A. 71 0 I \MMM ATT,NEY

Patented Dec. 30, 1941 PIPE SHAPING TOOL John A Wall, Swampscott, Mass.

Application November 6, 1940, Serial No. 364,560

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370O. G. 757) 3 Claims.

This invention relates to pipe shaping tools, and it has a particularrelation to tools for reshaping pipes and tubes which are out of round.

The principal object of this invention is the provision of a tool forreshaping pipes which have become out of round or elliptical incrosssection due to bending around a curve such as is experienced inassembling boiler tubes.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a tool of thecharacter described which will conform to the curvature of bends ofvarying radii.

With these and other objects in view, as well as other advantages thatmay be incident to the use of the improvements, the invention consistsin the parts and combinations thereof hereinafter set forth and claimed,with the understanding that the several necessary elements constitutingthe same may be varied in proportion and arrangement without departingfrom the nature and scope of the invention, as defined in the appendedclaims.

In order to make the invention more clearly understood, there are shownin the accompanying drawing means for carrying the invention intopractical use, without limiting the improvements in their usefulapplication to the particular construction, which, forthe purpose ofexplanation, have been made the subject of illustration.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view partly in side elevation with portions broken away andpartly in longitudinal vertical section;

' Fig. 2 is an end View of the improved tool with the halves separatedand in a position to reshape a pipe which is out of round; and

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig.1, and showing the tool after the halves thereof have been forcedtogether and the pipe rounded.

Referring to the drawing, a pipe shaping tool embodying the presentinvention is shown as comprising a plurality of pairs of hardened steeldie members In having complementary semi-circular recesses ll formed intheir inner adjacent edges. The die members of each pair are taperedtoward a common center so that the assembly is of arcuate shape. Each ofthe die members ID is provided with a pair of drill holes I2 extendingtherethrough, the holes in each die member registering with the drillholes in the corresponding members of the several pairs. Coil springs l3extend through the drill holes l2 and are secured under tension tocrossbars I4 extending transversely across the outer faces of the diemembers at each end of the tool.

This means of yieldably connecting the several die members permits eachhalf of the tool to be flexed so as to conform to pipe bends ofdifferent radii, the pairs of dies separating either along their inneror outer edges in cases where the radius of curvature of the benddiffers from that of the tool. When the two halves of the tool have beenbent manually to the proper curvature and positioned on opposite sidesof a pipe bend l5 having an elliptical cross-section, as shown in Fig.2, they are forced together by any suitaable means such as a presshaving plane surfaces coextensive with the area of the tool so as toclamp the pipe therebetween, the pressure thus brought to bear on thepipe causing it to assume the shape of the recesses H, as shown in Fig.3. The tool can then be loosened and slid around the bend in the pipeand the operation repeated to reshape an adjacent segment in the bend.In the event that the curvature of the'bend in the pipe is of greater orless radius than that shown in Fig. 1, the inner or outer ends of thedie members II] will necessarily separate, leaving gaps therebetween.When this occurs it is conceivable that a series of small annular ridgeswill be formed in the pipe. Such ridges, however, may be eliminated bymerely loosening the tool and moving it around the pipe a distancesufficient to position the die members around the ridges and againapplying pressure to the two halves of the tool.

It will be understood that the above description and. accompanyingdrawing comprehend only the general and preferred embodiment of theinvention, and that various changes in construction, proportion andarrangement of the parts may be made within the scope of the appendedclaims without sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and/or used by or forthe Government of the United States of America for governmental purposeswithout the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

I claim:

1. A pipe shaping tool comprising a plurality of pairs of cooperatingdie members arranged in side by side relation, the die members of eachpair having complementary semicircular recesses therein and adapted tobe forced together on opposite sides of a pipe that is out of round tocause the same to conform to the shape of the recesses, and means foryieldably connecting the corresponding die members of the several pairsto permit the same to separate and assume curvatures of varying radii.

2. A pipe shaping tool comprising a plurality of pairs of cooperatingtapered die members arranged in side by side relation, the die membersof each pair having complementary semicircular recesses therein andadapted to be forced together on opposite sides of a pipe that is out ofround to cause the same to conform to the shape of the recesses, andmeans for yieldably connecting the corresponding die members of theseveral pairs to permit the same to separate and assume curvatures ofvarying radii.

3. A pipe shaping tool comprising a plurality of pairs of cooperatingdie members arranged in side by side relation, the die members of eachpair having complementary semicircular recesses therein and adapted tobe forced together on opposite sides of a pipe that is out of round to,cause the same to conform to the shape of the recesses, and a springextending through the corresponding die members of the several pairs andanchored to the die members at the ends of the tool for yieldablysecuring them together for permitting them to separate and assumecurvatures of varying radii in bends in the pipes being shaped.

JOHN A. WALL.

